Ice-cream-cone storing and dispensing device



ug A. LEON ET' AL ICE CREAM CONE STORING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed June 21, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 305 7 A. LEON ET AL ICE CREAM CONE STORING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed June 2l 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 J Zea,

3;, may? Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

' UNITED] STATES 1 1,641,040 PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY LEON .aNni-ajunstarwmniaeoiaf woaonsrna, MASSACHUSETTS.

fIoEnaEAin coNn; mama AND DISPENSING nnvIcn.

- Application fil'ed J'une 21, was. seriaiNo. 117,240.

, r This invention relates to a device for stormg ice-cream cones and the like and for removing them therefrom.

back so that after'one is discharged the rest of the pilewill be retained in the casing; and to provide adevice jfor lower ng the cones nto the cas ng without 'in ur ng them. i

- ing drawings, in which Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference i-sto' be had to the accompany- Fig. 1 is a side view of a cone dispenser constructed accordance with this invention;

therefor partly Fig, 2 is a plan of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side'view showing the use of a tool for lowering a pile of cones into the device; 2 i I lis a plan of the holdingmeans in section on'the line H of Fig.3; j f

' Fig; 5is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3 of the lowering device on enlarged scale showing it as it appears when being drawn out; I

Fig. 6 is a side View ofa part of the bottom of the device; I V

. Fig. 7 is a sectional view throughthe center of (ishowing .a latchtor holding the cabinet from turning;

Fig. 8 is a bottoin plan view of the cabinet showing the way of holding theice-cream cone therein; I p I Fig; 9 is a similar view showing the means for retaining the second cone above when one is dropped out of the cabinet;

Fig. 10is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing he v l e p n so t at the bot om ne ca be dropped out; I 7

Fig. 11 is a View similar to Fig.9 showing these parts the positionflass'umed" when the other parts are in the position shown in and r 12 is side view with the bottom of e the cabinet in section on the line 12-12 of c Fig. 10.

' This invention is designed for the purpose of storing ice-cream cones and keeping them i in a clean and -sanitary condition, but, course, is capable of use for other similar purposes. It is shown as being built with a stationary baselO, preferably of sheet metal, supporting a stationary bottom plate 11 of polygonal shape. Supported in the base is a central vertical hollow shaft12 which eX- tends clear to the top. Mounted to turn on this shaft is a cabinet 13. The cabinet has a central vertical tube 1 1 extending throughout its length vertically for receiving the shaft, and to which are aflixed partitions or walls; 15 radiating from the center and se cured to the side faces 16 of the cabinet. These side faces are formed of sheet metal at the top and along their edges, but preferably with glass or other transparent material in the form of panels 17 extending from the top'to the bottom thereof. These transparent panels permit the contents to be seen allow the operator to know which ofthe compartments formed] by the walls 15 containany cones.

y or the purposeot'holding the cabinet in any position in which it may be placed, it is provided with a series of vertical slots 18 atthe bottom, one at each corner, and the stationar bottom-11 is provided with a spring '19 having a latch 20 thereonadapted to enter any of these slots to hold the cabinet from turning. The spring is adapted to be depressed as shownin dotted lines in Fig.

7 for the purpose of permitting the cabinet to beturned -.W1 1en desired. When held in of the compartments in the cabinet that will register with the dispensing apparatus.

position in one of the slots there will be one with one of the compartments when the latch v 20 is in one of the notches 18. This open ing 21 is large enough to allow a cone to drop out through it. It is provided with a shutter 22 arranged to close partially. It

5 consists, as, shown, of a halfdozen levers having iarcuate edges pivoted on studs 23 which are adapted t move 'in-radial slots 24; Tina fastened a) the bottom. 11 of the cahinetby screws26. There is an am 5.37 ,iir'ajectiiifj from one the teaser sismeuls 522 which, when moved as shown in Figs. 8 and l will either bring the shutter to the position shown in Fig. 8 in which it prevents the cones from dropping, or into the open position shown in Fig. 10 which permits them to drop.

For the purpose of operating this arm 27 it is provided with a pin 28 and there 1s a slide 29 which has two slots 30 and 31 which are guided by screws 32 and 33 on the bottom 11. A spring 3% tends at all times to keep this latch in the position shown 111 Fig. 8, but upon being pushed in against the resistance of the spring 34: a surface 235, which constitutes the edge ot a notch in the latch, engages the stud 2S and swings the arm 27 to open the shutter. An adjustable stop screw as is shown for engaging the arm 27 and preventing its moving beyond the point shown.

On the latch 29 a spring 37 which connects this latch with the pin 28 to keep the pin always in contact with the surface until the arm QT engages the adjusting screw 36. This shown in Fig. 8. and provides il'or some lost motion. At the end of the latch plate 29 it is bent at right angles to form an operating end 39. On the bottom 11 is adown ardly extending stationary projection or bracket 40 for the operator to engage with his fore-finger while he open ates the latch with his thumb.

From what has been said it will be seen that the operation ol. this latch will let the cones down. For the purpose of holding up the second cone and allowing only one to be delivered at a. time, a holding mechanism is provided. On the latch 29 is an angular slot ll engaging a pin 42 011 a lever 43. In the normal position shown in Fig. 8, this pin is down to the bottom of this slot. When the latch 29 is pushed in. the first ell'cct is to 't'orcc the pin out of the slot along a flat surface elelon the latch. This results in swinging the lever illi from the position shown in Fig. 9 to that shown in Fig. ll. There is a companion lever 4:5 geared to the lever (l3, so that they will swing oppositely. and two arms as which constitute a lazy-tongs structure. These arms 46 are pivoted to the lovers 4:3 and by pins 47, working in a single slot- 48 in the bottom 11. These pins are mounted on the levers -13 and and connected with the arms by longitudinal slots. These arms are pivoted. at and are provided with elevated arms 1-9 of curved format-ion so that they constitute holding levers. [n the position shown in Fig. 9 these arms are spread apart and have no effect. but when the latch is pushed in to release the bottom cone the arms move in as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 to catch the second cone and hold it up until the latch is again released.

It will be understood that the cones are loaded in the cabinet by placing them point. downward and one in another in a pile as shown in Figs. 1 and 12. In the compartment which registers with the opening 2L one of these cones projects down below. .l t is obvious that dropping them in from the top would be apt to injure the cones. Thcrofore the cabinet is provided with means for loading it. This consists of a tube 50 in the form shown. This has a rod 51 extending through it with a tixcd head 52 tor operating it in opposition to a spring 53 at the top of the rod. The tube is provided with a flange 54: so that the operator can press the rod down with the thumb by engaging two fingers under the flange. In the normal position when the rod is up, as shown in Fig. 8. its end which is pivoted to a flat plate 55 is, of course, drawn up so that this flatplate which is pivoted on a stud at} will more into horizontal position, a stop 57 being arranged in a position to limit it. In this condition the pile of ice-cream (ones (30 is supported by the plate 55 which is of crescent shape, as indicated in Fig. 4;. and is lowered down into one of the coinpartments. lV hen it reaches the bottom the operator presses on the top 52. This forces the rod 51 down and swings the plate or holder into a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the whole thing can be drawn out without disturbing the cones deposited by it. This loading device is intended to be held within a hollow rod 12 when not in use. On the top of the cabinet is a removable cover of the same shape as the cabinet.

It will be seen that with this device a large number of ice-cream cones orthe like can be stored out of the way oi contamination by dust or the like; that a pile of them, perhaps a dozen in number, can be dispensed one at a time by a very simple o 'ioration, and no danger oi the whole-pile falling or even of a second one being delivered accidentally. Also when one compartment is empty the cabinet can be turned very easily upon manipulating the catch fil -20, and there will be another supply ol" the same number ready to he delivered. On account of the design and construction of the cabinet a very large number of cones can. be stored in a comparatively small space all rcadv to. be delivered as desired. i On account of the simplicity of the loading device. the cabinet can be supplied with a full set of cones without ditliculty and without the expenditure of much time. The device has only a few working parts, and these are comparatively simple in construction.

Although we have illustrated and dcscribed only a single form of the invention, we are aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled lill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore we do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what we do claim is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base having an opening therethrough and means for supporting a pile of conical objects above the opening in axial alignment therewith, thereby when the first named means is opened the bottom cone will drop down below said stationary base, of a pair of pivoted levers having teeth meshing with eachother to cause the levers to operate simultaneously in opposite directions about their pivots, and a second pair of levers connected with the first pair having curved arms for engaging the second cone, both operated either inwardly or outwardly at the same time for preventing all but the bottom cone from falling.

' 2. In an ice-cream cone dispensing device, the combination with a'shutter for holding the bottom one of a pile of ice-cream cones, of a pair of levers geared together to swing oppositely, means for swinging the levers away from each other, and a secondpair of levers connected with and operatedvby the first pair, each having an elevated curved arm thereon in position for engaging the second cone of the pile when the shutter is actuated to allow the first one to drop. a

3. In a dispensing device for cones and the like, the combination of a support having opening therethrough and a shutter for said opening adapted to close partially to hold a cone therein, with a lever connected with the shutter, an operating slide adapted to engage said lever, said operating slide having a slanting slot in the edge thereof, a pin projecting into said slot,and means connected with said pin for holding up the cones above the bottom one, when the slide is actuated to open the shutter.

4:. In a dispensing device for ice-cream cones and the like, the combination of a support having a circular opening.therethrough and a shutter for said opening adapted to close partially to hold a cone therein projecting below the shutter, with means for opening the shutter to allow the cone to be discharged, comprising a lever connected with the shutter, an operating slide adapted to engage said lever, said 01 erating slide having a slanting slot in the edge thereof and a surface adjacent to the slot parallel with the direction of motion of the slide, a pin projecting into said slot, and means connected with said pin forholding up the cones above the bottom one, when the slide is actuated to open the shutter. V

5. In a dispensing'device for'cones, and the like, the combination with a supporting plate having an openingthrough it, a shutter adapted to be partly closed to hold a cone with its point projecting down, said shutter having operating arm, a lever connected with the shutter for opening it entirely to allow the cone to descend, an operating slide, a spring for normally holding the operating slide in operative position, said lever having a pin thereon, anda spring connecting the slide withsaid pin, said slide having a wall adapted to engage the pin when the slide is pushed in to actuate said armon the shutter and open it.

6. In a dispensing device for ice-cream cones, and the like, the combination with a supporting plate having a circular opening through it, a shutter adapted to be partly closed to hold arcone with its point projecting down below the shutter, said shutter having an operating arm, a lever connected with-the shutter for opening it entirely to allow the cone to descend, an operating slide, a spring for normally holding the operating slide in inoperative position, a guide for guiding the slide, said lever having a pin thereon, a spring connecting the slide with said pin, said slide having a notch, one wall of which is adapted to engage the pin when the slide is pushed into actuate said arm on the shutter and open it, and a finger piece on the bottom of the plate to assist the oper ator in manipulating the slide.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto aflixed our signatures.

ANTHONY LEON. JAMES LATTIMER, 

